In traditional agricultural production methods, plants are grown outside and rely on sunlight for growth. However, the plant growth is subject to drought and other adverse weather conditions, as well as exposure to insects. Although special seed and plant varieties, insecticides, and other chemicals can be used to mitigate plant damage, such measures, if available, increase costs, create environmental damage, and are not wanted by many consumers. Traditional agricultural production methods also consume large amounts of fertile land that are not necessarily available across the globe.
Previous efforts have been disclosed at growing plants in indoor environments. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,604,321; 6,840,007; 7,181,886; 8,104,226; and 7,818,917.